Turkey strikes PKK in Syria, Iraq for second day, responds to US criticism

Turkey continued its strikes on outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) targets in northern Iraq and the People's Protection Units (YPG) in northern Syria for a second day on April 26, while also responding to criticism from the United States. 

The Turkish Armed Forces said it hit PKK targets in the northern Iraqi region of Zap on April 26, state-run Anadolu Agency reported.

Six PKK militants, who were allegedly preparing an attack, were "neutralized" in the operation, according to the Turkish Armed Forces statement. Three shelters used by PKK militants were destroyed by the air strikes.

The military also stated late on April 26 that it "neutralized" another two militants in a separate air strike in the Zap region and destroyed a number of gun emplacements and sanctuaries.

Separately, mortar fire from an area assessed to be under the control of Syrian forces hit a military outpost in the southern province of Hatay, the Turkish army said, adding that it retaliated after the attack.

In a statement, the army said a separate cross-border mortar attack had been carried out on a different military outpost, also in Hatay, by members of the Kurdish militant YPG earlier on April 26.  

Turkey carried out a number of air strikes against PKK targets in Sinjar, Iraq and Karaçok, Syria a day earlier, announcing that some 70 militants were killed. 

In northeast Syria, strikes targeted the Kurdish YPG, which Ankara says is a terrorist group for its links to the PKK. 

Turkish warplanes continued to strike PKK targets in northern Iraq on April 26, killing six militants, the military said in a statement, as part of a widening campaign against the group. 

The statement said the air strikes targeted the Zap...